Show-case.



Eo. 839,639. PATENTED DEG. 25,`19o6. R. A. PULPBR.

SHOW CASE.

APPLIOATION FILED PEB. 5. 190e.

3 SHEETS-'SHEET 1.

PATBNI'BD DEC; 25, 1906.

RA. PULFER.

SHOW CASE. APPLICATION FILED IEB, 5. 190s.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2. fif .f

PATENTED4DEG.-, 1906.

. R. A. PULFBR.

SHOW CASE.

APPLIOATION FILED P11115. 1906.

a SHEETS-SHEET a.

#we "I" jgoerzf ner-fitting thereof.

narran strains ravin niet,

.eHow-CASE.

Specication of Letters Patenti Patented. nec. 25,1906.

Application iiled February 5,1906. Serial No. 299.405.

To dll whom ftp/ling cri/warn.:

. Be it known that I, ROBERT A. PULFER, a

`citizen of the VUnited States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of Caliiornia, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Show-Cases, o1Y which the following is a specification.

The main object of this invention is to provide a so-called all-glass show-case of improved construction wherein the glass plates will be securely he.d in their relative positions under normal conditions, but in such manner that when subjected to severe shock or strain said plat-es may move slightly relatively to one another without breakage.

Another object of the invention is to provide fastening means of this character which will be practically concealed or invisible, the said fastening extending between the glass plates at the joints thereof.

Another object is to provide cushions at the joints where glass meets glass and to make said joints dust-proof.

The invention comprises, in connection with the frame and glass plates of a case, binding devices attached to the .frame and extending along and around the edges of said plates to hold the same firmly and yet not too rigidly to the frame.

The invention yfurther comprises, in connection with such binding devices, fastening means for securing the plates to the binding devices at the corners or elsewhere.

The invention also comprises .means for cushioning the glass plates from the binding devices.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective'of a square-corner show-case. Fig. 1a is a detail plan of a cor- Fig. 2 is a perspective of a round-corner show-case. Fig. 3 is aplan of a portion of a square-cornered case.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view ori the line :t5 06" in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line zu x in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on ,the line :t7 x7 in Fig. 3. Fig. 8 i-s a perspective of a iastcning plate or clip used for attachment of the binding devices to the frame of the show-case. Fig. 9 isaperspective of a tensioner for the binding devices. Fig. 10 is a perspective of one ol` the clamps, ttings, or fasteners for the plates at the junctions thereto. Fig. l1A is a.

ISig. 4. is an end elevation of a case,partly in sect1on.

detail perspective of the bindingstrip and cushioning. device. Fig. 12 is a perspective of the binding means for a curved corner'- f plate. y Figi 13 is a perspective of a portion of a binding-strip used on 'top of a curved plate. Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view showing a different forml oftensioner for the binding devices. Fig.- 15 is a vertical section on the line :cm in Fig. 14.

The frame of the show-case may be. of any usual or suitable form, comprising, `for ex` ample, a base 1 and a back member 2, said bach member being formed asanopen-work fraining. In the form of show-case shown in Fig. 1 this back member is straight, and the glass plates of the show-case comprise end plates 3, front plates 4, and top plate'. Fittings, clamps, or fasteners 6 areprovided at the corners where the end, front, and top plates meet, said fittings engaging the respective glass plates, and binding devices are provided extending Within the joints between the glass plates and attached to the frame orto other fittings so as to hold the plates in place l on the frame. In oase the show-case is sufficiently longY to 4require it the 'front plate 4 may be made in a plurality of parts, and a litt-mg, clamp, or fastener 7 provided at the junction of said parts, said'iitting engaging said parts and the top plate and being connected to the end fittings 6 by binding devices extending between -the glass plates. These binding devices, which consist of ribbon or fiat meta-l strips connecting the fit. tings to one another and to the frame, are not shown in Fig. 1, as they are concealed within the joints of the glass, but are shown in Figs. 3 to 7. In case of the end plate 3 the metallic strip 8 (see Fig. et) is fastened bya plate 9 at its lower front endI to the base 1` and extends up along the front edge of the plate 3 and back of the front plate 4 tothe iitting 6 at the top of said plates.Y From said fitting the same strip or another strip leads overfthe top of the plate 3 to the rear member 2 of the case,`wl1ere it is attached to a fastening plate 9. Each fastening plate 2) (shown m detail in Fig. 8) hastwo-parallel slots 9 to receive and engage the end portion of the binding strips or ribbon and has a hole 9 to receive a screw 9 -for fastening the plate to the frame. The corner-iitting 6 is provided with means for clamping or gripping the three plates 3, 4J and 5 that meet atsaid corner, so that on suitably tensioning TOO the binding devices the said plates'will be' Vheld toward and on the frame with a proper vdegree of firmness. v

Each .corner-`itting 6 is made in the form of an angle-plate, having lugs 10 extending down-at the outside of each arm for engagement with the outer faces of the glass plates and lugs 11 extending down at theiiiside of each' arm for engaging the vinside of said lates, the outer flanges- 1() having holes 10a or the reception of a fastening bolt .or screwv 12 for a clamp arm or clip 13, adapted toengage over the .top of the glass pla-te, this'clip 'having a slot 12 to receive said screw,said -slot enabling adjustment of the clamp to tighten it on the top plate'. The corner of fastening-plate 6 is rounded or bowed out Atwo take the end vof the front plate in Fig. 3.

the top of this fastening-plate 6 are slots 14 15, slot 14 being transverse to one or eachl 'arm of the.` said plate about in line with the linner edge .of the other -arm and slots 15 being near the outer end of said other arni and f transverse thereto .to receive and engage the end portion .of the' metal ribbon or strip. The front lower end` of the ribbon issecured to a f plate 9 by threading through the slots -9 therein, iirst downwardly through the outer slot -and then upwardly through the innerv slot, and the other end of the strip is similarly secured to'aiietner late 9, and the said plates are then secure to the frame. -`as held, or, yif desired, tensioning devicesmav be used to draw the strip tight after being put in place l he glass wall-plates of the case are secured wit-hin or between shoulders or bea-tls 16, wherethev contact with the frame. In

order to facilitate the insertion of the'front glass late, it is desirable in some cases to provi e for temporarily pushing back the side vor end plates. .edge of said end plates has a certain amount of movement between its receiving-shoulders e 16, and adjusting or tightening screws 1T are .front plate.

provided, working'in the back member'2` of 'the reach-bar 29,`said T-head having glass-A the frame and bearing against a wooden strip 18, extending` against the rear edgeof said glass plate, so that von screwing in' the screws w the'said strip will be pressed against the rear edge of said plateto shove theglass plate ferwardly'again'st the binding devices and the between the binding-strips and the several glass plates, 'said means consisting of any suitable yielding material, such rubber or felt, preferably in the form of a tube' 19, sur- For this purpose the rear Cushioning means are provided 1 strips '19 of felt rna. v 'bei placed' oneach side of the metal binding-stripbetween the ver- .tical glass plates and sai-d strip,`fa similar felt or other `vieldingstrip,beingplaced between the glass top plate and the metal strips and a lvielding strip 19, preferably'of rubber, between the said metal strip and-the top of the4 glass wallplates. This latter method of cushioning is particularly i applicable to curved strips, such as shown in Figs, 12 and 13, and as therein shown the metal strip may have indentations 40' to engage the cushionstrips to prevent lateral displacement.

The corner-plates 6 are connected along the front of the case by4 a metallic bindingstrip S, connectedat its ends to the respective corner-fasteners by' engagement of the slots 15 therein. i case makes it desirable to build the front of -more than one plate 4 the fitting or fastening plate 7 will le provided at the junction of the plates, said: fitting having slots 15 at each end screws 25 on the base, so as to prevent endwise movement of the case and enabling `the plate 21 to be moved up or down by rotation of the screw, the screw having a kerfed head 24 to enable its adjustment and a collar 26 engaging below said' plate to hold the screw from endwise movement. The center t-ting .or fastener 7 is preferably provided with a reach bar or arm or vbrace-rod 2Q, extending therefrom to the opposite side or back of the case,'where it is fastened by screws 29', and

has a clamp-plate 13, adjustably fastened Athereto by screws 12, said plate 13 having a flange 13a to engage the top plate,

The fastener 7 is formed as a T-head on engaging flanges at its front and rear edges, shown in Iig. 1.0, and the clamp-plate 13 being fastened to the front fla-nge. The arms of said T-head are formed with transverse'v slotsl 15 nea-r their outer ends to-receive and engage the binding-strip and with transverse slots 15 centrali)v thereof for the passage of the binding-strip from one or the other end downward I v therethrough.

It will be noted that each of the binding- ,'85 In case. the,- length of thethereof for engagement with and attachmentrolo screw 24, mounted in-a plate 25, fastened by strips extends between an edge of one lass any unsightly and dust-collecting crevices at the joint.

.The show-case (shown in Fig. 2) has its end portions formed` with square cornersV and formed similarly to construction above described in connection with Fig. 1. The front of the show-case is, however, round-cornered, and at suoli round corners the construction is modified by making thebinding-strip of curved shape to conform to the top edge of flanged portion engaging in slots in the fittings or fastening devices '7 37, fitting 7 being of the forni shown in Fig. 10 and having, preferably, a reach-bar 29, as above de- Y scribed, and the fitting 37 being similar to the fitting 7, but without the reach-bar, as the curved shape of the glass plate gives the tensioning effect required. To each of' these fittings a vertical binding-strip extending to the bottom of the frame or base is secured, as shown in Fig; 6, and tensioning devices are providedat the bottom thereof, as shown in F i 5. .j

it will be noted that the tensioning devices above referred to are located on the inside of the case, so as to be-accessible on opening the doors at the back of the case. In the forni Aof the tension device shown in Figs. 14 and 15 the said device is accessible from the outside ofthe bottoni of the case and consists of a bolt 32, sliding vertically in a fixed sleeve 33 and having a flat extension 34, provided with slots 35 to receive and engage the end portion of the binding-strip 8a, said bolt having a nut 36 working thereon to draw it downwardly to tension the said st-rip.

By the constructions above set forth the glass plates are bound or held firmly in the frame, and yet there is sufficient resiliency, due to the flexibilit of the metallic binding devices, to enable t e parts to yield slightly onv'occurrence of shock or jar, with the result that the danger of breakage is reduced to a minimum. The construction is also dust-l proof.' The binding devices may be cemented to the strip vand to t-he glass.

That I claim is- 1. In combination -=with a supportingframe and a curved glass plate supported thereon, a curved strip extending over and conforming to the shape of said curved glass plate an having downwardly-extending flange means engaging withthe outer face of said glass plate and means acting on the ends of said strip drawing the saine tangentially and also downwardly-` 2. The combination with a base, a curved glass plate supported thereon and glass plates adjacent to said curved glass plate, with a curved binding-strip extending over and along the top of theI curved glass plate, fittings at each end of the top of' the curved glass plate and attached to the respective ends of said curved strip, and binding devices attached at their lower ends to the base and binding devices at each end of the curved glass plate attached at its lower end to the base and extending up at'the joint at that end of said plate and through the fitting at the top of said joint and over the top of said joint and over the top of the adjacent plate, and means for putting the flexible binding devices under tension. y

3. A binding device for glass plates'coniprising a inetal fitting having two parallel slots extending transversely thereof near one end and provided near its other end with fastening ineans, and a fiat metal bindingstrip threaded through said transverse slots from oneside of the plate to the other and back again to engage the strip with the slots. 4 A binding device for glass plates coir.- prising a fitting having glass-engaging flanges and provided with two adjacent arallel slots extending transversely of the fitting, and a metallic strip threaded through said slots from one 'side of the plate to the other and back again to engage the strip with the slots.

5. A binding-fitting for glass plates having glass-engaging flanges, and provided near one end with two parallel slots extending transversely of the fitting and provided centpally of the fitting with another transverse s ot.

6. A binding-fitting for glass plates having two arnis, each provided with glass-,engaging fianges and each arni provided near its outer end with two parallel slots extending transversely of the fitting and each arm provided near its inner end with a slot extending transversely of the fitting.

7. A show-case comprising two adjacent glass wall-plates and a top plate and a binding device therefor, comprising a fitting having two arms, each arm provided with flanges for engaging the wall-plates and with means for engaging the top plate, one arm being provided nearits outer end with two adjacent parallel slots extending transversely of the fitting and the other arin having a slot near its inner end extending transversely to said arin, a binding-strip extending between one of the wall-plates and the top plate and tlneaded through the said parallel' slots froni one side of the strip to the other and back again to'engage the strip with the slots, and

vrroo IIC another binding-strip extending between the other wall-plate and the top plate and longitudinally over the other' arm and down through the transverse slot at lthe inner end of said-arm and between the two wall-platesi 8. A binding devicefor glass plates coniprising a itting having two arms, each arm aving glass-engaging flanges, one arm being provided near its outer end with two adjacent parallel slots extending transversely of the fitting, and the other arm having a slot 'near its inner end extending transversely to. v the said arms, a, binding-strip threaded through the said parallel slots from one side of the strip to the other and back again to I engage the strip with the slots, and a bindingstrip extending longitudinally ofv the other arin and over the said arm and down through the transverse slot at the'inner end of -said arm. y

' 9. The combination with a supp orting frame comprising a case 'and a back nember, a glass late resting onv said base Vand in contact wit the back member, a strip connected tothe back member and extending forwardly over the top of the glass plate and down along the front edge of said plate, and means for attaching the. lower end of said strip to/ the base and for adjusting the tension of said strip,jsaid nieans comprising a screw and a plate engaged by said screw, said plate having two parallel slots extending transversely thereof and the strip passing through said slots-from one side of the plate to the other ssaeee apd back again to engage the strip with the 35 ate. l

p 10. In a glass 4shwv-case, the combination with aframe'portion at one side of the vcase n and a glass plate at the other side7 of a reach.- bar secured at one end of the Jframe and pro'- 4o vided at its other enclwitha T-head'having vflanges to engage the .glass plate, said-,T-

head havingat each end tvvo'parallel slots extending transversely to the head and having a transverse slot at its central portion, 45 and binding-strips engaging said parallel slots, one of said 'binding-strips passing through two of the slots from 'one side of the plate to the other and back-again and extendin ,longitudinally over theedge of the 5o glass p ate. y

11. A show-case comprising a frame at one side thereoir and a plurality of glass lates at' the other side, a reach-bar secure to the said frame and extending across the show- 5.5, 

